MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand After the Winter Meetings

The winter meetings have come and gone, and while it was one of the quieter four-day periods in recent memory, many believe that once the two big names Josh Hamilton and Zack Greinke finally sign, the domino effect will be a quick one.

Still, there were a number of moves made at the meetings and the MLB landscape has certainly changed at least enough to justify an updated set of power rankings.

Since it's impossible to accurately predict how the rest of the offseason will play out, the power rankings that follow serve as a baseline for where each team stands at this very moment.

That is to say, these rankings reflect where I would place each team if the season started today with their rosters as-is.

This will be continue to be updated throughout the offseason as we continue the push toward spring training and eventually Opening Day.

30. Houston Astros (Previous: 30)

A year after moving closer Mark Melancon to the Red Sox and getting an impact bat in Jed Lowrie, the Astros again trade their young closer in Wilton Lopez to the Rockies for a pair of pitchers.

One of them, Alex White, is a former first-round pick who the Rockies acquired from the Indians in the Ubaldo Jimenez deal. He has a high ceiling and should open the season in the rotation. The team also added veteran Phil Humber, who threw a perfect game last season for the White Sox, to their rotation.

29. Miami Marlins (Previous: 29)

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Offseason Overview

It's going to be a long season in Miami after the team was gutted earlier this offseason in a trade with the Blue Jays.

The team flipped one of the players they acquired from Toronto, Yunel Escobar, to the Rays for infield prospect Derek Dietrich, who looks to have a bright future, but it only further weakened a team whose marquee offseason offensive addition to this point has been Juan Pierre.

28. Cleveland Indians (Previous: 28)

Though they were quiet at the winter meetings, one has to imagine the Indians laid the groundwork for a number of potential deals as the offseason progresses/.

Asdrubal Cabrera is one of the best trade chips in all of baseball now due to the complete lack of options at the shortstop position, and while the team's asking price is high, expect someone to bite. Shin-Soo Choo, Chris Perez and Justin Masterson are also players who could be on the move for the rebuilding Tribe.

27. Minnesota Twins (Previous: 27)

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Offseason Overview

The Twins have now dealt outfielders Denard Span and Ben Revere, and return they received a trio of solid young pitchers in what appears to be a pair of solid moves for a franchise in desperate need of arms.

Span landed the team Alex Meyer (10-6, 2.86 ERA, 9.7 K/9), who had a terrific first pro season and has the stuff to be a future ace. Vance Worley will step in as the team's ace, and he came over from the Phillies along with Trevor May (10-13, 4.87 ERA, 9.1 K/9), who entered last season as the No. 69 prospects according to Baseball America.

26. Chicago Cubs (Previous: 26)

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Offseason Overview

The Cubs have had a busy offseason so far, signing starters Scott Baker and Scott Feldman, as well as adding Nate Schierholtz to be the primary right fielder and bringing back Ian Stewart for another try at third base.

These aren't exactly the type of moves that are going to fire up the fanbase, but the team is holding strong to its commitment to building the franchise top to bottom and avoiding spending big. They may still look to add another starter to fill out the rotation.

25. Kansas City Royals (Previous: 24)

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Offseason Overview

The Royals have understandably made starting pitching their area of focus this offseason, as they brought Ervin Santana aboard and re-signed Jeremy Guthrie. They should also benefit from the continued development of Jake Odorizzi.

The biggest question now is if the team will deal top prospect Wil Myers to land a frontline starter as rumors continue to swirl (h/t CBSSports). If they don't move him, he'll likely push Jeff Francoeur for his starting outfield spot and will make the Royals good, young offensive core even better.

24. Colorado Rockies (Previous: 25)

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Offseason Overview

The Rockies bolstered their bullpen this offseason by acquiring Astros closer Wilton Lopez, who had a 2.17 ERA and 10 saves in what was his third straight season logging over 60 appearances with an ERA under 3.00.

The team also brought back Jeff Francis to fill out the back of the rotation, though they could look to add more pitching after registering the worst ERA in baseball as a group last season. The offense looks strong as ever though, and getting Troy Tulowitzki back should only make them better.

23. New York Mets (Previous: 21)

The Mets' biggest offseason move thus far was a major one, as they locked up third baseman David Wright with an eight-year, $138 million extension (h/t ESPN New York).

They'll now turn their attention to either locking up ace R.A. Dickey or dealing him, as they don't have a ton of money to spend on the free-agent market but could net a big haul in moving Dickey. Regardless of what they do with him, they'll likely look to add someone to bolster their outfield.

22. Seattle Mariners (Previous: 22)

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Offseason Overview

It's not Josh Hamilton, but the Mariners added Jason Bay to a low-cost deal in an effort to boost their offensive production.

There are still a ton of holes though, and they could explore both the free-agent and trade market in an attempt to avoid finishing last in the American League in runs and batting average for the fourth straight season.

21. San Diego Padres (Previous: 23)

The Padres have already added Jason Marquis and Tyson Ross to the staring pitching mix, and they could look to add another arm behind the promising duo of Edinson Volquez and Clayton Richard.

Their offense was dealt a blow when Yasmani Grandal was suspended for 50 games following a positive PED test, but they should still be solid and could get a boost from top prospect Jedd Gyorko at some point early in 2013.

20. Chicago White Sox (Previous: 19)

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Offseason Overview

The White Sox signed Jeff Keppinger to a three-year, $12 million deal to play third base, and with the Yankees making a one-year, $12 million offer to Kevin Youkilis (h/t MLB.com), they appear to have gotten a bargain to fill their void at the hot corner.

The team also appears ready to move forward with Tyler Flowers as their starting catcher, with A.J. Pierzynski still on the free-agent market but likely to command a high salary after enjoying a breakout season at the age of 35.

19. Pittsburgh Pirates (Previous: 18)

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Offseason Overview

The Pirates pulled off a bit of surprise when they non-tendered starter Jeff Karstens, and while they could still look to add a starter, that will likely open up a rotation spot for prospect Jeff Locke or perhaps even Gerrit Cole at some point in 2013.

The team opened its wallets to add Russell Martin on a two-year, $17 million deal, and as long as young Starling Marte can continue to develop in the leadoff spot their offense should be solid as they look to make another run at a winning season and more.

18. Boston Red Sox (Previous: 20)

The Red Sox were as busy as anyone at the winter meetings as they signed Shane Victorino, Mike Napoli and Koji Uehara to join Jonny Gomes and David Ross as new additions to the team.

Pitching remains an issue and they will likely sign at least one starter, but the team is much better off than they were a few weeks ago. They may have overpaid a bit for Victorino and Napoli, but they had money to spend and managed to keep the deals short-term.

17. Milwaukee Brewers (Previous: 17)

The Brewers have been quiet so far this offseason, as they acquired reliever Burke Badenhop from the Rays to help bolster what was one of the worst bullpens in baseball, but have done little else.

The team could look to add another proven starter behind Yovani Gallardo, and will likely sign at least another reliever or two to the 'pen. There's also still an outside chance that they could make a run at Josh Hamilton, but that is seeming less and less likely.

16. New York Yankees (Previous: 13)

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Offseason Overview

The winter meetings have come and gone and the Yankees still have a ton of work to do. They've brought back a trio of important arms in Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera but have yet to address the offense.

Right field, catcher and DH remain major areas of need, and now with Alex Rodriguez out until midseason the team will likely need to add a third baseman as well. They reportedly offered Kevin Youkilis a one-year, $12 million deal, though he has yet to agree to anything (h/t Bryan Hoch of MLB.com).

15. Arizona Diamondbacks (Previous: 14)

The Diamondbacks made a splash early this offseason when they acquired Cliff Pennington and Heath Bell in a three-team trade that sent Chris Young out of town.

Though they were quiet at the winter meetings, the chance remains that they could move Justin Upton as they look to upgrade at shortstop with Asdrubal Cabrera, with one of the Rangers duo of Elvis Andrus and Jurickson Profar still intriguing options.

14. Philadelphia Phillies (Previous: 16)

After missing out on their top target B.J. Upton, the Phillies found a solution to their center field need as they traded Vance Worley and Trevor May to the Twins for Ben Revere.

The team still has holes at third base and could use another outfielder perhaps, but their biggest need now will be replacing Worley in the rotation. Tyler Cloyd is capable of stepping into the role, but the team has little depth and would benefit from signing another veteran arm.

13. Tampa Bay Rays (Previous: 15)

The Rays have taken steps to upgrade their offense already this offseason, signing James Loney to play first base and acquiring shortstop Yunel Escobar from the Marlins.

Loney could provide the same low-cost value that Casey Kotchman did two years ago, and Escobar is not too far removed form being one of the top offensive shortstops in the league. The question remains now whether or not the team will move James Shields or another pitcher to further bolster its offense.

12. Texas Rangers (Previous: 11)

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Offseason Overview

The Rangers have yet to make a move this offseason, but they appear to be controlling the market right now, and according to team president Nolan Ryan the prospect of adding both Josh Hamilton and Zack Greinke remains a possibility (h/t ESPN Dallas/Fort Worth).

Assuming they only get one, Justin Upton may be the answer to replacing Hamilton and James Shields could be an alternative to Greinke. Either way, it appears the team has a good chance to land a part-time outfield bat and a frontline starter.

11. Los Angeles Dodgers (Previous: 10)

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Offseason Overview

The Dodgers started off the offseason by signing Brandon League, and appeared ready to spend big in addressing the starting rotation.

However, they've been silent since, and after being viewed as the front-runner to sign Zack Greinke they are seemingly now forced to wait and see how things play out with the Rangers. That said, once the chips begin to fall, expect the Dodgers to spend.

10. Baltimore Orioles (Previous: 9)

In a move that was at least mildly surprising, the Orioles non-tendered Mark Reynolds, who win his final year of arbitration was due for a raise over the $7.5 million he made last season.

With Manny Machado ready to step in at third, he was expendable and the team can now use that money to perhaps sign another veteran starter to add some stability to its young rotation. Nate McLouth was also brought back on a one-year deal after providing a spark in a comeback season last year.

9. Atlanta Braves (Previous: 12)

The Braves have already made a pair of major moves this offseason, signing B.J. Upton to a five-year, $75.25 million deal and trading starter Tommy Hanson to the Angels for reliever Jordan Walden.

Gerald Laird was brought in to replace David Ross as the backup catcher and will likely open the season as the starter with Brian McCann still recovering from shoulder surgery. The biggest remaining question is third base, which will likely be solved by signing an outfielder and shifting Martin Prado.

8. Toronto Blue Jays (Previous: 8)

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Offseason Overview

The Blue Jays have been quiet since pulling off their blockbuster deal with the Marlins and signing Melky Cabrera, and even if they enter the 2013 season without making another move they should be in a solid position to contend in the AL East.

J.A. Happ is a solid fifth-starter option, but for a team with title aspirations they may look to sign or acquire another top-of-the-rotation starter with the health of Josh Johnson and Brandon Morrow far from a sure thing.

7. Oakland Athletics (Previous: 5)

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Offseason Outlook

The A's will look to recapture the magic they had last season with essentially the same group of players as they've been quiet so far this offseason.

Chris Young was acquired from the Diamondbacks and he'll see at-bats all over the outfield despite opening the year as a reserve. Shortstop is the biggest issue, and bringing back Stephen Drew remains perhaps the best option the team has.

6. St. Louis Cardinals (Previous: 6)

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Offseason Overview

Even with Kyle Lohse and Lance Berkman parting ways, the Cardinals entered the offseason with little in the way of major needs heading into the 2013 season.

Their biggest need was another left-handed reliever to go alongside Marc Rzepczynski, and they filled that void by signing Randy Choate to a three-year, $7.5 million deal. He's the definition of a lefty specialist and he'll serve a vital role in the 'pen after making 80 appearances last season.

5. Cincinnati Reds (Previous: 3)

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Offseason Outlook

Things got very interesting in Cincinnati when the Reds decided to bring back reliever Jonathan Broxton to close and moved flame-throwing Aroldis Chapman to the rotation as a result. Mike Leake is the odd man out as a result, but will no doubt be kept around as an insurance policy.

The biggest need is still an outfielder capable of filling the leadoff spot in the lineup, as the team's best option right now in that spot is Brandon Phillips, but he's best utilized in a run-production spot in the lineup.

4. Los Angeles Angels (Previous: 7)

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Offseason Overview

After cutting Dan Haren and Ervin Santana loose, the Angels decided not to wait around and see if they could lure Zack Greinke into re-signing as they've added Tommy Hanson in a trade with the Braves and signed Joe Blanton to fill out their rotation.

The team could still go after another starter since both Hanson and Blanton are fairly low-cost options and Garrett Richards is still somewhat unproven in the No. 5 spot, but as of now they appear to be in good shape to open the season even without Greinke back.

3. San Francisco Giants (Previous: 4)

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Offseason Outlook

The Giants spent big to bring back Angel Pagan (four-year, $40 million) and Marco Scutaro (three-year, $20 million), but it's hard to argue with the moves as both players played integral roles in the team winning the title last season.

Adding an impact bat in left field remains their biggest need moving forward, with Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher ranking as the top remaining options on the market. The team could also look to add a reliever after non-tendering Brian Wilson, and could in fact come to terms on an incentive-laden deal to bring Wilson back.

2. Detroit Tigers (Previous: 1)

The Tigers offense will benefit greatly not only from the addition of Torii Hunter, but also from the return of Victor Martinez after missing all of last season with an ACL injury.

Pursuit of Anibal Sanchez continues, and the team will likely sign a veteran starter of some sort to fill the No. 3 spot in the rotation before the offseason is over. Regardless of who that starter may be, the team appears to be in great shape to defend its AL pennant.

1. Washington Nationals (Previous: 2)

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Offseason Outlook

A case could be made that the Nationals were the most complete team in baseball already entering the offseason, as they had to account for the loss of Edwin Jackson and Adam LaRoche but were still in terrific shape. Now, with a pair of moves, they move into the top spot in these rankings.

The addition of Denard Span not only gives the team the center fielder they've been searching for, but also gives them a legitimate leadoff hitter and allows them to shift Michael Morse in to first base.

They also added Dan Haren, who is admittedly a risk at this point, but a risk the Nationals can afford to make—and if he returns to form what is already arguably the best rotation in baseball would just be that much better.